A businessman found with thousands of images of children being sexually exploited stroked the head of his tearful wife in court and said, “I’m sorry my darling” as he was led away to prison.
Ian George Henry Durbin, known to many as a “good, hard-working family man”, was sentenced to two years and three months’ imprisonment for possession of child exploitation material.
Durbin was found with 2077 unique child sexual abuse and exploitation files across five devices seized after a search of his family home in Nelson by the Department of Internal Affairs Digital Child Exploitation Team in August 2023.
Among the images found was his “dedicated interest” in one victim who appeared hundreds of times from the age of 4 until about 12. Other images and videos showed children aged between 3 and 16 years old.
They, too, would have to live with the consequences of his actions, Durbin’s lawyer Michael Vesty said.
“The children are having to deal with the fallout, and they are completely innocent,” he said.
According to the police summary of facts, Durbin operates his own business, and his LinkedIn account stated this was in the window cleaning trade.
Today, the 56-year-old leaned on the small, white temporary dock rigged in the temporary courthouse in Nelson with his head in his hands as he was sentenced on six charges of knowingly possessing objectionable material, one of them a representative charge.
The other five were for the material found on the five separate devices, for offending that spanned four years.
But the summary of facts said Durbin had consistently searched for objectionable publications over at least 10 years, from 2013.
Initially he did not acknowledge responsibility for the offending but claimed he had “inadvertently seen objectionable material previously” and had earlier opened child sexual abuse publications out of “curiosity”.
He was convicted after pleading guilty last December and was given credit in sentencing for his early pleas.
Forensic analysis revealed child exploitation material on two computer hard drives, an external hard drive and two mobile phones.
Evidence of Durbin’s search for objectionable material was found on a further three items seized, including another computer hard drive, a laptop hard drive and another mobile phone.
Among the 2077 files were thumbnail and cache images, or smaller-sized replicas of an original file, which meant the originals had once been present on the device and viewed by the user.
Crown prosecutor Jackson Webber said even though Durbin had not distributed any of the material, aggravating features were his interest in a particular child and his engagement online with like-minded people.
The summary said Durbin had a peer-to-peer file sharing software program to download the material.
The program searched for other connected users on the network who might be looking for content, which was then shared directly between the users’ private computers.
“This was a high level of engagement over a long time,” Webber said.
Vesty submitted there were ways the court could denounce and deter without sending Durbin to prison, but after careful consideration, it’s what Judge Jo Rielly did.
“I do not consider that any alternative to prison is appropriate,” she said.
Judge Rielly acknowledged the stressful time that Durbin had experienced, having “lived in limbo” from the start of the investigation to the prosecution months later.
The delay was linked to the sheer volume of material that had to be sifted through, Webber said.
Judge Rielly also acknowledged the steps Durbin had taken to address his offending behaviour and figure out the root cause, which had led him to become more aware of the harm caused by online child sexual abuse.
She also acknowledged Durbin’s supportive wife and loving children and the community around the family.
From a starting point of four years’ imprisonment, Judge Rielly arrived at two years and three months after credits that included recognition for the impact of a prison term on Durbin’s children.
The Parole Board would determine his release date. Durbin’s prison sentence meant he was automatically registered as a child sex offender.
Police said the demand for child sexual exploitation material resulted in a continuing cycle of sexual abuse of existing victims and demand for new victims who carried the burden for the rest of their lives.
SEXUAL HARM
Where to get help:
If it's an emergency and you feel that you or someone else is at risk, call 111.
If you've ever experienced sexual assault or abuse and need to talk to someone, contact Safe to Talk confidentially, any time 24/7:
• Call 0800 044 334
• Text 4334
• Email support@safetotalk.nz
• For more info or to web chat visit safetotalk.nz
Alternatively contact your local police station - click here for a list.
If you have been sexually assaulted, remember it's not your fault. Safe to talk - He pai ki te kōreroSafe to talk - He pai ki te kōrero Sexual Harm. Do you want to talk? (2 MB) https://safetotalk.nz/ New Zealand PoliceNew Zealand Police Find Police stations by map New Zealand Police
